Moon Stalker
by Ziska Ames
Summary: An AU with a twist.
1. Moon Stalker

Hey, minna! This is a crossover between Sailor Moon and the Night   
World series by L.J.Smith. This is very alternate reality and the scouts   
aren't scouts, basically they will be different people with slightly similar   
personalities and the same names. Please don't kill me for this. Any   
comments are greatly appreciated. Oh, girls are 19 and in college, boys   
are 23 and in their last year of college.   
  
THIS IS NOT A BUFFY FIC!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, Sharpies, Buffy, or the Night World  
aspects of this story.  
  
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"Moon Stalker"  
Recorded by Ziska Ames  
  
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Chapter One  
  
Serena's blue eyes glittered dangerously at the thing in the   
middle of her bathroom. She shook wet, red hair out of her eyes and   
could feel the dye dripping down her back. She had been in the middle   
of rinsing her short, cropped hair in the sink when the zombie had   
crashed through her bathroom window.  
  
It moaned at her and she grimaced in disgust. She'd just   
cleaned this place and the zombie had to go and drip rotting flesh   
everywhere. She sighed and quickly twisted out of the way as the zombie   
suddenly lunged, apparently intent on eating her for dinner.  
  
"No can do, babe. I happen to like my head attached to my   
body." she grumbled as she leaped out into the hallway. She wrenched   
the bokken off the wall and quickly pulled it from its sheath. The   
zombie stumbled out after her and managed to give a fairly impressive   
howl. She rolled her eyes and levered the slightly curved wooden sword   
at its chest.  
  
Oblivious to the danger, as zombies tended to be, it lunged at   
her, neatly impaling itself on the sword. Serena quickly twisted to make  
sure the sword stayed and released the bokken as the zombie stumbled   
backward and fell to the ground. It trashed for a bit, moaning loudly,   
and then died.   
  
Serena just looked at the zombie for a moment before placing her   
foot on its chest and gripping the bokken's handle. She ignored the   
disgusting feeling of her foot sliding *into* the zombie's chest as she   
wrenched the sword free.  
  
"First things first." She wrinkled her nose against the smell   
that was beginning to permeate her apartment as she dropped the bokken   
next to her feet and levered the zombie into her arms. Its dead weight   
made her immensely glad for all the training she had done with Lita at   
the gym. That girl had worked hard to whip Serena into shape and she   
would have to thank her for it someday.  
  
She lugged the zombie out the back door and again thanked the   
Lord for her bottom floor apartment. With a bit of struggle she managed   
to toss the body into the dumpster and grimaced as she heard the smack   
of rotting flesh on rotting flesh. This was the second zombie to follow   
her home this week. She was just thankful that by the time the garbage   
was picked up, the zombies had rotted enough that no one noticed they   
used to be human.  
  
Serena glanced down at her now completely disgusting clothing   
and sighed. "At least I get to finish washing my hair now."  
  
  
  
Serena wasn't that surprised to walk out of the bathroom wrapped   
in a towel and find her cat Luna sitting next to the soiled bokken. She   
hadn't bothered to clean it before her shower and Luna hadn't been home   
at the time to nag her into it.  
  
"Serena, you must take better care of your weapons! What was it   
this time?" Luna's slightly irritated voice was belied by the concern in   
her eyes as she gazed upon her pupil.  
  
Serena sighed and picked the bokken up carefully. She was clean   
and didn't want any more zombie goo on her. "Zombie."  
  
"That's the second one this week! How are they finding you?"   
Luna was shocked and a little more than slightly irritated now. She   
huffily followed Serena who had turned away from the ranting animal and   
moved towards her bedroom.  
  
"They're good guessers?" Serena hazarded as she pulled an   
over-sized t-shirt out of a drawer. The bokken was leaning against the   
wall, waiting to be cleaned.  
  
Luna sighed exasperatedly and shook her head. "Oh, Serena. You   
really aren't being careful enough. You're good, I'll give you that, but   
you aren't good enough to be careless. No one is!"  
  
Serena turned to glare at her cat. "I'm not careless, Luna. I   
don't know how these things keep finding me. I wore that damned stuff   
you told me wouldn't leave a scent for a zombie to follow it. Maybe you   
gave me the wrong stuff. Maybe it's your fault!" She angrily grabbed the   
bokken and dropped into the chair next to her desk. She pulled a drawer   
open and removed cleaning solution and a very old rag.   
  
Luna jumped up onto the bed and looked out the window, pointedly   
ignoring Serena's tirade. After a moment she mumbled, "You never hear   
of the Mask having these problems."  
  
"Well no one hears of my problems either! It probably happens   
to him too!" Serena was down right annoyed by now. She swipped angrily   
at the gunk on her sword as she thought. Luna was always comparing her   
to the Mask. And Serena was sick and tired of it.  
  
Without even a reply Luna jumped off the bed and headed to her   
favorite chair in Serena's small living room.   
  
Serena leaned the now clean bokken against the wall and fell   
onto the bed. She rolled over to face the window. She loved her room and   
had placed the bed in this position exactly because of that window.   
Although she was on the bottom floor, the view was wonderful. The   
building was right next to a park and surrounded on three sides by that   
very park. It was perched on the park's highest hill and gave a   
wonderful view of the sprawling hills and trees of her beloved Peoples'   
Park. It was a haven to her. She usually went there after a fight to   
clean up before coming in. The manager had this thing about odd smells   
and most of the things Serena fought smelled pretty odd when she was   
done with them.  
  
"You have class in the morning! Don't forget!" Serena groaned as   
a reply and rolled over to set her alarm clock.  
  
"What possessed me to take English Lit at eight o'clock in the   
morning, I just don't know."   
  
  
  
"Knock, knock, sleepy head!" Serena's eyes opened as a gentle   
fist knocked lightly on her forehead.  
  
"Be gone, foul demon!" she cried as she jerked awake and leaped   
out of the bed, successfully pinning her friend Raye to the ground.  
  
"Hey! Get off me, you dork!" Raye cried as she struggled against   
Serena's hold.  
  
"Nope. You woke me up before the alarm. That means it's before   
six-thirty. I can't believe you would to that to me, Raye! You know how   
late my nights can be," Serena growled as she shoved Raye's shoulder   
blades into the carpet.  
  
"Okay, I'm sorry! How was I to know you were working last   
night?!"  
  
"Cause I work almost every night," Serena growled as she rolled   
off Raye and to her feet. Raye mumbled to herself a moment and Serena   
definitely caught the words 'mental institution.'  
  
"No prob, babe. Send me away. Then you get my job!" Serena said   
with mock-cheerfulness and a rather evil looking grin. Raye paled   
slightly and shook her head.  
  
"You can keep it. I don't think I'll ever be able to enjoy   
killing. Even if it's killing the scum of the earth."  
  
Serena sobered for a minute, then nodded. Two years ago she   
wouldn't have believed that she could enjoy it either. But lately she'd   
been getting such a rush. Enjoying it with a fierce pride. And it scared   
her. It was also something she hadn't mentioned to Luna or Raye yet, and   
she wasn't sure she should.   
  
Raye was gentle by nature, no matter how she tried to project   
herself. Serena supposed being a priestess did that to you.  
  
Raye's gentleness had been what attracted Serena to her in the   
first place. When they had first met Raye had been yelling at Serena   
for sneaking onto the temple grounds. At least, she was yelling till   
she noticed the rapidly mummifying body behind Serena. Choking off her   
words Raye had nodded silently and, to Serena's surprise, helped her   
carry the body to the temple dumpster.   
  
After that abrupt change in personality, Raye had done it again,   
suddenly plying Serena with questions and wanting to know everything.   
That day Serena had learned a lot and finally gained a true friend,   
besides her cat.   
  
Serena shook herself out of her memories and pushed Raye out of   
the room so she could change. Emerging a moment later in her infamous   
graffiti pants and a green t-shirt she found Raye sitting on the couch   
petting Luna. Raye's eyes sparked at Serena's choice of clothing.  
  
"Oh good! I was hoping you'd wear those. I have the best thing   
to write on them. Pen?"  
  
Serena reached into her pocket and removed the black Sharpie   
she carried with her almost everywhere. Raye seized it and fell to her   
knees next to Serena's leg. Uncapping the pen she leaned almost sideways  
and started to write on Serena's jeans. Serena giggled a little as Raye   
hit a ticklish spot, then absently admired her pants. She loved this old   
pair of jeans. The knees had been patched twice and always rewritten   
over. People's names and drawings sprawled all over her pants, even   
overlapping in places. Raye finished and stood up handing Serena the   
pen. Serena glanced at her left leg, where Raye had been writing.  
  
Sprawled up the back of her leg from her foot to her knee was   
written "Buffy Chick."  
  
"Oh, great, Raye. People'll think I'm a Buffy fanatic," Serena   
said rolling her eyes.  
  
"But it's so close to the truth!" Raye protested as she gazed   
upon her work. "You are a vampire slayer."   
  
"And a witch slayer, and a zombie slayer, and a 'shifter slayer,  
and a werewolf slayer... the list goes on." Luna sighed from the couch   
as Serena ran off the list of her prey.  
  
Raye grinned and finally noticed Serena's hair. "Oh my gosh!   
What did you do?!"   
  
"Dyed it," Serena said defiantly. "This'll make it harder to   
see me in the dark. My blonde hair was so bright!" she complained   
half-heartedly. She'd always liked the color of her hair, such a pure   
blonde, but it really did make it hard to sneak around in alleyways   
behind vamps if there was an moon at all.  
  
"Well, that's obvious," Raye said, pouting slightly. She circled  
Serena slowly taking in every angle as Serena glared at her.   
  
"I'm not on display you know," Serena said acidly.  
  
"Of course not, dearling," Raye said patronizingly as she patted   
Serena's arm. Serena's glare deepened. "Actually, it looks good. But I   
can't wait to see Mina's reaction. We're meeting her for breakfast."  
  
"Oh. In that case, we better go," Serena said glancing at the   
bronze clock on her table.  
  
"We're going to be late!" Raye yelped. Leaping forward she   
grabbed Serena's arm and hauled her out of the apartment.   
  
"Bye Luna!"  
  
  
  
"Raye! Serena! Over here!" Serena glanced around till she saw   
Mina's hand waving in the air. She waved back and grabbed Raye's elbow   
with her free hand.   
  
"Come on. Mina's over there."  
  
"With two guys!" Raye put in happily. "But only two?" She seemed   
a little sad by that. One of them was going to be guy-less!  
  
"You can have them," Serena said as they approached. "I've no   
use for males."   
  
"Hey, guys," Mina said cheerfully as Serena and Raye sat across   
from her and the guys. Raye turned slightly and smiled at the guys.  
  
"Hi, I'm Ra-" she was cut off my Mina's squeal of astonishment.  
  
"You dyed your hair!"   
  
"Well, duh!" Serena snapped, then smiled to show Mina she was   
kidding.  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Uhh... I've always wanted to," Serena said carefully. She   
couldn't tell Mina it was so the vamps wouldn't see her coming. Mina   
surely wouldn't react well to that at all.   
  
"Oh," was Mina's very short reply. She looked at Serena for a   
moment, then brightened, bestowing the boys beside her with a dazzling   
grin. "Forgive me. I'm so rude. These are my friends Serena and Raye,"  
she pointed to each in turn then faced her friends. "And this is Darien   
and Diamond. They're exchange students from Australia!"   
  
Serena nodded politely and started to eat her food while Raye   
and Mina gushed over the guys. Ignoring the conversation Serena   
carefully studied the guys under half closed eyelids.  
  
The first, Diamond, had longish white blonde hair and deep   
purplish eyes. The coloring definitely surprised Serena. She wondered   
briefly if he was a native of Australia. As he chatted with Mina and   
Raye her eyes slid to the other guy.  
  
Darien didn't look like he was enjoying the conversation much   
either. He was paying polite attention, but paying much more attention   
to his food, much like she was. His blackish hair hung into his eyes   
and his blue eyes seemed distracted. Serena gasped a little when he   
suddenly turned to face her, looking directly into her gaze.   
  
The gasp managed to cause a piece of egg to go down the wrong   
way and Serena was suddenly choking. Almost instantly she felt someone   
pounding gently on her back as the egg finally found its way down the   
right tube. She looked up through watering eyes into Darien's worried   
gaze.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked softly and she was struck by how deep   
and melodious his voice was. She nodded slowly, stunned by his hand   
which was still resting on her back.  
  
Suddenly, her body took over when her mind refused to function.   
She stiffened like a board and turned away from Darien.  
  
"I'm fine. Thank you," She said in a crisp, clear voice as she   
stood up and seized her mostly empty tray. "Now if you will excuse me,   
I have a class soon."  
  
She left Mina, Raye, Darien, and Diamond staring after her as   
she walked out the commons door.  
  
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PLEASE tell me what you think 


	2. Moon Stalker

Hey, minna! Okay... I just want to say that I've plotted this fic and I   
realize there are going to be a number of things in the rest of the story that   
will offend a lot of your guy's Sailor Moonic sensibilites. I'm sorry, but it   
is neccesary for the story!! Believe me. All I ask is you suspended all the   
relationships in the cartoon and such. I'm going to be messing around with a   
number of characters romantic ideals. ^_^ Please don't kill me!! All will be well.  
  
Thank you to all the wonderful super fabulous people who commented on my   
story! You all are the best! And huge thanks to my beta-reader! Love ya, Mee   
mee-chan.  
  
E-mail... OpiumChicken@yahoo.com  
Website... http://ziskaames.tripod.com/stories/  
  
Oh! One last thing, I promise.   
denotes a scene change or time lapse.  
~~~~~ is a change of POV. 'kay? Cool. ^_^  
  
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. Oh well...  
  
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"Moon Stalker"  
Recorded by Ziska Ames  
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CHAPTER TWO  
  
English Lit was just as boring as it always was, but the time   
seemed to drag even more for Serena. She felt horrible about storming   
out like that on her friends. And Darien and Diamond must think she   
was a real brat. She sighed as the teacher lectured on and on about   
something. She wasn't paying enough attention to notice what.  
  
I'll apologize to Raye and Mina in the morning. Darien and   
Diamond I'll apologize to when I see them. Pleased with her plan,   
Serena sat back to wait for class to end.   
  
  
  
After class Serena practically plowed through her classmates   
to the door. She had to almost run to get to Mythology on time. It   
was all the way on the other side of campus, but these were her only   
classes for today. She sprinted up to the building with about a minute  
to go and launched herself inside.  
  
Sliding into her seat just as the teacher started the lesson   
she tried to quietly calm her breathing. Calm... calm. After a   
moment she was able to pay attention. She loved mythology and today's   
lesson on the lineage of the Roman gods proved to be interesting.  
  
  
  
"I can't believe she just left like that!" Raye ranted as she   
and Mina headed to their last class, psychology. "That was so rude of   
her!"  
  
"I know, Raye. She had no reason to act like that. But you know   
her, she just stiffens up around people she doesn't know. It took me   
three months to convince her I really wanted to be her friend." Mina   
attempted to soothe Raye before she drew a crowd.  
  
"I know. She's just so aggravating sometimes. She needs to have   
more fun."  
  
"So why don't we all go dancing tomorrow night? I invited Darien   
and Diamond and you and Serena came come to!" Mina's face lit up at the   
plan.   
  
"They might not want to go anymore if they know Serena's going.   
They can't have taken that scene in the lunch room very well." Raye   
sighed and shifted her books to a more comfortable position in her arms.  
  
"Well... I'll just tell them she was having a bad day. She'll   
be good. I know she will," Mina pleaded.  
  
"You just want to hang out with Diamond and Darien," Raye   
accused sourly.  
  
"Well, don't you?" Mina countered.  
  
Raye blushed and looked away. "That's not the point."  
  
"It is too and we are all going whether you two like it or not,"   
Mina said decisively, sticking her nose in the air like a haughty   
aristocrat and using a tone that clearly said there were no two ways   
about it.  
  
Raye rolled her eyes. "Yes, your highness," She drawled   
irritatingly.  
  
Mina gasped indignantly and attempted to clobber her friend   
with her math book. Raye ducked out of the way and shot down the path.   
"Can't catch me!" she taunted.  
  
  
  
Serena slammed the door to her apartment closed and tossed her   
books on the couch. Luna opened one eye and glared at her reproachfully.  
  
"What?" Serena asked irritably. Some how the class had managed   
to get the professor off the topic of roman gods and on to the topic of   
the recent attacks and the Moon Stalker's repetitive appearances. Serena   
always felt uncomfortable when people talked about her secret identity   
and hadn't even had a name till three months ago when Raye had insisted.  
  
The priestess had practically begged Serena to choose a name.   
Till then people had referred to her as the person-who-showed-up-to-take-  
out-the-bad-guys. For some reason Raye hadn't liked that persona and had   
insisted that Serena choose a name for her alter identity. Moon Stalker   
had actually been Luna's suggestion.   
  
That had surprised Serena into agreeing. Luna never did anything   
remotely frivolous and if she liked the idea it was probably in Serena's   
best interests to agree.  
  
The class discussion of herself and the monsters had made Serena   
incredibly uncomfortable. It was hard for her to join into such talks   
when she knew she was talking about herself. She had set in the back of   
the class and attempted to ignore everyone till her friend Amy had   
decided that Serena needed to join in.  
  
She'd spent the rest of class trying to be interested and not   
look guilty or as if she knew something she wasn't telling. As far as   
she could tell, it had worked. But she was still on edge when she got   
back to her apartment.  
  
Luna had long since jumped off the couch and walked to Serena's   
bedroom door. Sitting in front of it she stared at Serena, waiting.  
  
Serena grumbled and opened the door for her. "For a talking cat,   
you sure need a lot of help."   
  
Luna merely twitched her tail in answer as she nudged open   
Serena's closet doors. Serena collapsed on the bed with her head in her   
hands. "Oh Luna... not tonight."  
  
Luna's answer was to grip a box in her teeth and pull it from   
the closet. She nudged the top off with her nose and turned to face   
Serena.  
  
"Serena, you know the attacks are getting worse. Ever since   
people realized vampires and zombies and such were real, they've been   
attacking more often and even in public places. They don't have to hide   
anymore. But this makes your job twice as tough. You have to do this,   
Serena. The entire town depends on you." As if she was afraid that Serena   
would find a way out of it Luna turned back to the box and tipped it over   
on its side.  
  
Out of it spilled Serena's slaying clothes. Serena stared at   
them for a minute, then sighed and gave herself up to the inevitable.  
  
  
  
Sneaking around sure has become easier with my hair like this.   
I'm not half as worried about being in shadows all the time. Serena was   
currently slipping in-between trees and dodging branches as she made her   
way through her own beloved People's Park.  
  
Almost immediately after stepping out of her building, she had   
heard the howl of a wolf. She knew it had to be a werewolf, there weren't   
any real wolves in Bloomington. Serena had slipped into the shadows,   
blending well in her black jeans and dark blue turtleneck with the   
half-mask obscuring her face, and started to make her way toward the   
sound.  
  
Serena swiftly moved through the trees, stalking the 'wolf. She   
was sure the sound had come from inside People's Park. Which was good   
and bad. Good because it couldn't have attacked more than one person at   
a time, and bad because it was very isolated. Serena knew that by the   
time she got there, the victim would probably already be dead. All she   
could do for the poor person would be to revenge them by killing their   
killer.  
  
So she hurried towards the howl, which was repeated a moment   
later. She almost ran straight into the clearing where the 'wolf was,   
but managed to stop right on the edge.  
  
Praying she would stay down wind of the 'wolf, she nimbly leapt   
up into a tree and moved along its strong branches into the clearing.   
  
When she was directly above the 'wolf, she glanced down,   
grateful for the moonlight that illuminated the clearing.  
  
What she saw was not what she expected. The 'wolf was actually a   
beautiful animal with sleek black fur. Its muzzle was covered in the   
blood of the young rabbit that lay half-eaten at its feet. It lifted its   
head for a moment and purple eyes sparked as they looked around the clearing.  
  
Serena tensed, afraid for a moment that the 'wolf had spotted her.   
It left the rabbit for a minute to pace the perimeter of the circle,   
sniffing cautiously. Serena held her breath as it made its way towards   
her tree. It was sure to smell her on the ground and she would have to   
be ready to fight it.   
  
Reaching down silently she triggered the switch in her boot. The   
hidden release shot the blade up into her hand and she quickly held it   
behind her back so the moonlight wouldn't strike the pure silver and   
alert the animal.  
  
With careful sniffs the 'wolf arrived at her tree. Slowly it   
sniffed the roots of the tree and growled lightly under its breath. Then   
it backed up, shaking its head as if to deny what it had smelled.  
  
Serena watched in confusion. Her plan had been to drop the knife   
on the 'wolf once it was under her tree, but the animal's strange reaction   
held her entranced and surprised.   
  
The 'wolf shook its head again and growled lightly, peering up   
into the branches of Serena's tree. She shifted slowly till the leaves   
screened her from view and waited for what the 'wolf would do next.  
  
The 'wolf growled a moment more, then tucked its tail between   
its legs. Hunkering down to the ground it peered up into the tree and   
whimpered lightly. Serena almost lost her perch from surprise. The 'wolf   
was giving a display of complete submission!  
  
For a moment her mind wondered if it was a trick to lure her   
down, but that inside voice that she always trusted seemed to whisper   
that this was true. This was no act.  
  
Slowly, cautiously, Serena inched her way backwards on the   
branches and slid down the trunk. She stepped out slowly, turning to   
face the 'wolf. Blue eyes met purple and the 'wolf seemed to cower even   
more.  
  
Serena displayed the silver knife blatantly at her side as she   
took a number of careful steps into the clearing. The 'wolf backed up,   
keeping its tail tucked away and its head and body low to the ground.   
  
Once Serena was in the clearing she nudged the dead rabbit with   
her foot. "Couldn't find a plump enough human, 'wolf?" She growled at   
the animal in front of her. She wasn't sure why she was provoking it.   
That really was a stupid thing to do and almost a sure way to get killed   
for someone less skilled then Serena. But her little voice again, the   
one that never steered her wrong, was telling her to do this. To anger   
the 'wolf into attacking her.  
  
"What about me? I'm thin, but I bet I'm juicy. And all I have is   
this little knife. Come on, puppy. You can take me." She hunkered down   
herself, even getting on her knees in a position which was really hard   
to fight from. The 'wolf shook its head and stayed where it was in its   
own position of humility.  
  
Serena growled at the 'wolf. "What's wrong with you? Why don't   
you attack?"  
  
The 'wolf peered up at her for a moment from its purple eyes.   
Serena realized then just how vulnerable she was, and something about   
those eyes struck a memory. Something she needed to know. She shook the   
feeling off and brandished her teeth at the 'wolf. "Attack, damn you!"  
  
Serena suddenly realized why she was so uncomfortable with this   
'wolf, and why she couldn't just kill it. She usually didn't have any   
scruples about attacking from behind, but then the creature had always   
been feeding on a human. This 'wolf had been eating a rabbit. And now it   
wasn't attacking. Her conscious wouldn't allow her to attack this 'wolf.   
It wasn't acting like any other werewolf she had fought, and she wasn't   
sure how to handle this.  
  
"Maybe... maybe you're a real wolf," Serena said slowly, and out   
loud. She was starting to feel silly. Of course, this must be a real wolf.   
Any decent werewolf would have attacked by now. But a real wolf would   
have sensed her dominance and showed that, exactly like this one was.  
  
Serena got up off her knees and brushed the dirt away, embarrassed.   
She kept the blade in her hand and shook it at the wolf. "Go on. Shoo,"   
she said.  
  
The wolf looked at her curiously and, keeping low to the ground,   
started to inch its way towards her. Serena kept still, not sure how to   
react till the wolf was hunkered right at her knee. Suddenly, its tongue   
darted out and it licked her boot.  
  
Serena suddenly started giggling. This whole situation was just   
too strange, and suddenly things got stranger.  
  
Somebody leaped out of the woods, hitting the wolf in midair and   
knocking it away from Serena. She jumped backwards as the person and wolf   
rolled around on the ground, striking out at each other. "Stop!" Serena   
cried desperately. This person didn't understand, they probably thought   
the wolf was attacking her. She had to stop them.  
  
Immediately the wolf stopped fight and the person pinned it to   
the ground. Serena stared uncertainly as the man, for it was a man as   
Serena could now tell, wearily got up off the wolf and backed up till he   
was near to her.  
  
"You control this creature?" the man's voice was deep, probably   
deeper than it was when he spoke normally. Serena couldn't see much of   
him. Surprisingly, he was dressed a lot like her. Dark slacks covered   
his long legs and blended almost completely with his black long-sleeved   
shirt. Instead of a half-mask, he wore a hood, which completely covered   
any hair he might have had and obscured his eyes. The only skin Serena   
could see were his hands.  
  
She stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Basically. It isn't   
going to hurt me, but thank you anyway." It was an attempt at a   
dismissal, but the man either didn't care or notice her intent.  
  
"How? You must know this is a werewolf. You are in great danger   
not killing it like that." Serena was startled. This man obviously knew   
she wasn't a normal pedestrian. Then she remembered her clothing.   
  
I'm about as subtle as he is. she thought ruefully. "No, this   
is a real wolf. And it isn't going to hurt me." As if to prove her trust,   
she slipped the blade into her boot and kneeled on the ground. The wolf   
immediately leaped to its feet and trotted over to her. It sat next to   
her, allowing her to scratch its head, and stared at the man. "So you   
see, I'm fine," Serena said standing up. The wolf pressed itself against   
her leg like a loyal pet and growled lightly at the man as if to say 'I   
won't hurt her, but I will hurt you.' Without thinking Serena laid her   
hand on the wolf's head and it stopped.  
  
There was no way to tell what the man was thinking and Serena   
was a little unnerved by the fact that this guy was quite a bit larger   
than her and so well disguised she'd never be able to ID him. He just   
stood there loosely and, as far as Serena could tell, stared at them.  
  
"You are Moon Stalker," the man said suddenly, surprising Serena.   
She thought about denying it, but decided it was useless.  
  
"Yes. And you are?"  
  
"The Mask," he said slowly. Serena frowned.  
  
"You're supposed to be in Australia. How do I know you are the   
real Mask?"   
  
"You don't," he said softly and with a strange sense of finality.  
  
"What are you doing here? No town is supposed to have more than   
one slayer and I'm already staking this place." Serena was a little   
surprised at her accusation. Earlier in the day she would have sworn that   
she would be happy to turn this job over to someone else. Now she was   
demanding that he leave?  
  
"I came to find you," he said simply. "Now that I know you are   
here, there are better times and places to discuss what we must. I will   
be in touch, Moon Stalker," he said. And then he was gone. Serena blinked   
stupidly at the place where he had been standing. She shook her head and   
looked down at the wolf.  
  
"Did that make sense to you?" she asked it. It stared up at her,   
then seemed to smile. Then it was gone, too. Serena shook her head and   
sighed.  
  
"And this is only the beginning of the night." With another long   
suffering sigh and a promise to herself to tell Luna and Raye about this   
strange meeting, she continued her rounds of the town.  
  
--------------------------  
  
E-mail is wonderful! Send me some at OpiumChicken@yahoo.com or at least R/R.  
  
Ja ne, minna!  
Zi-chan 


	3. Moon Stalker

Konni-wa, minna-chan! Okay... like i said in Chapter Two, I'm messing   
with relationships and this chapter is a prime example. I ask you to please   
not stop reading if you don't like what happens in this chapter. I'm sure   
I'll get a number of flames about this and I must tell you, if you flame   
me, I'll fight right back. ^_^ Oh, please keep in mind that this is an   
alternate reality and Rita is NOT HERE.  
  
Hugs to all the wonderful, spectacular, amazing people who took time   
to e-mail me!!! You all are the best!  
  
Disclamier: Me no own Sailor Moon or Night World.  
  
= scene change  
~~~~~~~~ = POV change  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Moon Stalker"  
Recorded by Ziska Ames  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Three  
  
"Dancing?! I can't dance to save my life!" Serena's scream of   
desperation ricocheted in her small living room. She was huddled in a   
corner of the couch as her friends rolled their eyes.   
  
"Whatever. You're damned graceful when you wanna be." Mina said   
patronizingly. Serena's eyes sparked and she pouted in Mina's general   
direction.  
  
"Maybe I don't wanna be."   
  
"But I already told the guys you'd come!" Mina wailed, her blue   
eyes welling up with what Serena strongly believe to be fake tears.  
  
"Guys?" Serena asked suspiciously. Mina was always trying to set   
her up. Raye understood why she couldn't have a boyfriend, but Mina didn't   
know about her 'night life.'  
  
"Umm... well..." Mina blushed sheepishly and looked at Raye for   
help.  
  
Raye rolled her violet eyes and answered for her friend. "She   
invited Darien, Diamond and Andrew so we each get a dancing partner."  
  
"Argh!! Mina!" Serena wailed again burying her face in a convenient   
throw pillow.   
  
"What? I'm setting Raye and me up just as much as I'm setting you   
up. I did invite three guys," Mina said indignantly. In her opinion Serena   
was over-reacting.  
  
"I told you I can't have a boyfriend!" Serena cried, her voice   
muffled from the pillow.  
  
"Yeah, but you never told me why," Mina pouted. "Why can't you tell   
me why?"  
  
Serena lifted her face from the pillow and blue eyes met blue.   
After a moment Serena looked away and mumbled "It's not something I can   
explain really..."  
  
Mina sighed and looked at the carpet. "It's okay. You don't have   
to tell me. I'm sorry about this but you have to come. How would Darien   
feel?"  
  
"Wait, you've already decided Darien's mine?" Serena asked  
unbelievingly. This was too far.  
  
"Well... I'm already crushing on Andrew and Raye likes Diamond...   
so we figured you could have Darien..."  
  
"Great. Give me the rejects," Serena moaned, burying her face in   
the pillow again. "Fine. I'll go. But you guys owe me..."  
  
"Told you Darien would be a hook," Mina mumbled to Raye.  
  
"...and after this that's it! No more dates from you!" Serena yelled   
as she leaped off the couch and dove into her bedroom. "Now get your butts   
in here and help me decide what to wear, darn you."  
  
  
  
"Dammit, Diamond. Why do you have to get so fascinated with every   
pretty face you see?" Darien mumbled as his friend dragged him to the club.  
  
"Not every face," Diamond respond. "Just the ones with a great body   
attached and an interesting personality. I do have some ideals."   
  
"Yeah. Like they can't be bald," Darien mumbled in response. He   
really didn't want to go to this. As much as he was looking forward to a   
night away from school work, he wasn't to excited about seeing that Serena   
girl again. Her impression had been less then pleasant in his mind.  
  
Diamond refused to acknowledge his last comment and only continued   
to drag him closer to the club. The lights glittered and Darien could   
faintly make out four forms standing in front of the doors waiting. He only   
guessed three of them were the girls.  
  
As they got closer he noticed the fourth was a guy. But his   
attention was riveted to Serena. Her short, red hair was falling loose   
around her face, brushing her cheeks on both sides. She wore a pretty white   
shirt with tiny flowers stitched over it. Below that was a short white skirt   
and the outfit was completed with white ankle boots. He'd never seen   
anything more heavenly.  
  
Belatedly, he noticed the other girls. Raye was dressed almost   
identical to Serena, except in black. Her hair flowed down around her knees   
and he nodded politely when she smiled at him, then clamped herself to   
Diamond's side. Diamond's white polo shirt and black slacks complemented   
her well and they both turned to Mina and the guy.  
  
Mina's blond hair was back in a low ponytail and she wore a three-  
quarter sleeve pink shirt with black shorts below it. Her small pink pumps   
made her almost the same height as the guy standing next to her. His pink   
shirt and dark slacks made them look like they were wearing matching   
outfits. He also noticed how close they were standing. Slowly, his mind   
sorted out this information and came to a conclusion that excited and   
terrified him.  
  
Serena was the only one here without a date... besides him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Serena coolly appraised the guys through lowered eyelashes.   
Diamond's white shirt and black slacks helped her to notice just how   
muscular he really was. Her eyes slid to Andrew, Mina's date. She almost   
giggled looking at those two. They looked like matching dolls.   
  
Finally her eyes rested on Darien. His light blue shirt and tan   
slacks made him look so different from everyone else in the group. She   
nodded gently when he offered her his arm and she noticed belatedly that   
the others were already inside.   
  
With a smile she took his arm and allowed him to lead her into The   
Laughing Planet.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inside Serena was having trouble keeping any kind of a respectable   
distance between herself and Darien. The press of bodies in the popular   
club made it hard to stand up without being nose to nose, and sitting down   
was completely out of the question.   
  
So they danced, or at least they tried. Some how she figured Darien   
would probably be a good dance partner if they had the space. For the moment   
though they were simply pressed together and swayed with the group to the   
loud pop music. She noticed her friends out of the corner of her eye. They   
didn't seem to be doing a whole lot better than her.   
  
After a moment she realized Darien was trying to talk to her.  
  
"What?" She tried to yell over the noise. Realizing it was   
impossible, she tried a new tactic. Standing on her tiptoes she leaned in   
close and pitched her voice low. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear you," she   
practically whispered into his ear.  
  
He noticed her change in tactics and seemed to agree with her. He   
leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "I said, would you like to go   
outside."  
  
Serena repressed a shiver, then nodded. Anything to get away from   
the noise and the feel of him pressed up against her. She wasn't the   
romantic type by any stretch of the imagination and she definitely did not   
appreciate having her emotions fooled with. Even when it was her own mind   
trying to tell her that the feel of his body against hers could be a   
pleasant one.  
  
She attempted to slip out of the crowd, but soon realized it was   
impossible. Remembering something a friend had told her she switched into   
'Rugby Mode.'  
  
Instantly she started pushing a path to freedom. She physically   
shoved people out of the way, all the while yelling back at Darien to   
follow her and crying apologies.   
  
Once outside she leaned against the wall and smiled at Darien.   
  
"Where'd you learn that? Rather unique," he asked as he joined her   
at the wall. He slid down till he was sitting on the pavement and Serena   
soon joined him.  
  
"An old friend of mine named Christina. She called it Rugby Mode.   
Helps in a crowd. Basically, pretend you're playing rugby," Serena said   
with a true grin.  
  
Darien smiled in return and leaned his head back against the wall.   
He could faintly hear the music pouring out of the open doorways, but was   
content just to sit outside with Serena.  
  
"Hi guys. I see you all had the same idea we had!" Mina said as   
she planted herself on Serena's other side.  
  
"Rugby Mode is a wonderful thing," Raye sighed as she sat near them.   
  
"Do all you girls know about this or something?" Darien asked  
without opening his eyes.  
  
"Only some of us." Serena assured him. "And we only use it as a   
last resort. So have no fears." She quipped.  
  
He smiled at her and cracked one eye open. She was so much calmer   
now then she had been at breakfast two days ago. He liked this side of her,   
he liked it a lot.  
  
Soon Serena, Mina and Raye were involved in a conversation and even   
managed to drag Diamond and Andrew into it. Darien simply sat and listened   
with his eyes closed.  
  
He didn't notice Serena's many glances, or Diamond's envious glare.  
  
  
  
"Would you like to dance, Serena?" it was a couple hours later and   
the conversation was still plowing on full strength. Most of the people in   
the club had left, which surprised Darien, but it did leave more space for   
dancing. And right now Darien was wishing he had been the one to ask Serena   
to dance.  
  
"Sure, Andrew," she said holding out her hand. He helped her to her   
feet and led her inside to the much cleared out dance floor.   
  
Almost immediately a slow song started up and Andrew pulled Serena   
into his embrace. He smiled over her shoulder. He'd dreamt of this, dancing   
with Serena. He'd hoped for this moment for a long time and it was finally   
happening. It felt so right and he didn't know why.  
  
Serena leaned her head on Andrew's shoulder and sighed so quietly   
he didn't even hear it. This was nice. She was much more comfortable than   
she had been earlier with Darien. Of course, those were different   
circumstances. Although the dance floor was far from empty, it was   
significantly less crowded, allowing her and Andrew to dance smoothly to   
their own rhythm and not the masses'. Not to meantion she wasn't pressed  
toe to toe with him like she had been with Darien.  
  
The moment was so nice she hardly noticed when he first kissed the   
back of her neck. It didn't intrude on her quiet little world till he   
started working his way around to her face. She stiffened and stopped   
dancing.  
  
She didn't look at Andrew as he lifted his head and looked down at   
her. "Oh, Serena. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... it's just... well, I've   
liked you for such a long time, Serena, and now here we are and I just   
couldn't help it. I'm sorry."  
  
He started to pull away a little farther but she stopped him and   
finally looked up at him, smiling. "It's okay. You don't have to apologize.   
I was just... surprised."  
  
Andrew beamed down at her and gently kissed her nose. "Did that   
surprise you?" he asked softly.  
  
She blushed a little and lowered her gaze. "A little bit."  
  
"How about if I give you warning?" Serena nodded slightly. "Okay.   
I'm going to kiss your forehead, Serena." Andrew whispered as he landed a   
delicate butterfly kiss on her forehead. "And your nose." he pecked her   
nose again lightly.  
  
Serena giggled a little, enjoying this game. But what he said next   
didn't even give her enough warning.   
  
"And your lips." he whispered before he brought their lips together   
in a sweet, chaste kiss. The first emotion to hit her was one of enlightenment.  
  
Yes! her mind cried. You, it's you! You're my soulmate.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Darien looked away after the first kiss on Serena's neck. He couldn't   
bear it. He'd been about to go cut in, keep that beautiful girl to himself,   
but now he couldn't possibly. This Andrew had won. He looked back just as   
they kissed, a true kiss, and it made him want to die.  
  
All night while he'd had his eyes closed pictures of him and Serena   
had danced before his vision. But it was pointless now. She obviously liked   
this guy and as much as it tore him apart, Darien couldn't fight it.   
  
He turned to Diamond and said softly. "I'm going back to the   
apartment. I'll see you later."   
  
Raye watched him go before turning back to Diamond. She was shocked   
to see him staring intently through the doorway into the club with a look   
that could burn a whole in the wall. "Diamond?" she gasped.  
  
He quickly turned to face her and his mouth melted from a scowl to   
a smile. "Hey, you wanna go get some ice cream or something? It's getting   
a little hot." Raye nodded and managed to sneak a peek into the club before   
following Diamond.  
  
Seeing Serena liplocked with Andrew was *not* what she had expected.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Serena... her name sounded like bells when he whispered it in   
her mind. This was so strange. They were speaking to each other through   
telepathy. Serena'd never heard of such a thing besides the abilities of   
vampires. And though she knew Andrew could see every thing she thought about,   
it didn't scare her. It was right this way. He was her destined. The one   
who she would be with forever. The one she loved. He should know everything   
about her.  
  
Yes. We'll never have secrets. he whispered softly, a wave   
of emotion behind his words. Serena agreed completely.   
  
I wonder how Luna will react... oh no... she cut the thought   
off, burying it in her head. She had to have secrets. Somethings he couldn't   
know.  
  
Serena? Don't hide... he coaxed.  
  
I'm sorry, Andrew. I can't tell you this. You can't know...   
She tried desperately not to think about the slayings. But the thought kept   
rising in her mind, no matter how hard she tried.  
  
Serena, please! Don't hide things from me!  
  
Andrew was soft and insistent, but Serena was petrified. He'd be   
in danger if he knew. The creatures would kill him. She stamped the thought   
down, burying it beneath thoughts of panic and desperation.   
  
I'm sorry! I can't... I must not!! she sent only a wave of   
love and reassurance as she ripped herself, almost violently, out of the   
rapport with him.   
  
She jumped back out of his embrace leaving him shaking his head as   
he came back to the real world. "Serena...?" he mumbled, confused.  
  
She reached out, carefully, and caressed his cheek. "I'm sorry, my   
love. Maybe someday I can tell you... but you must trust me. It is for your   
own good that you do not know."  
  
Andrew just looked at her for a moment, then finally nodded. "I   
trust you with my heart and my soul." he whispered. Gently he drew her   
back into his arms and they continued to dance.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Send comments, flames, and such things to OpiumChicken@yahoo.com  
  
Thanks!  
  
Ja,  
Zi-chan  



	4. Moon Stalker

Konni-wa, minna! Wow, I'm kind of surprised. While nobody wrote   
saying they were happy with the Andrew/Serena pairing, nobody wrote   
threatening me with certain death either!! Happy day!!  
  
Thank you to all you wonderful people who commented. You are the   
ones who keep this story moving. You really are!  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and the Night World do not belong to me though I  
hope to be that creative someday...  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Moon Stalker"  
Recorded by Ziska Ames  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
CHAPTER FOUR  
  
This time the bokken was in her back sheath, the handle peeking  
above her left shoulder. The paper had reported numerous vampire   
sightings and Luna had insisted Serena take the wooden sword with her.   
There hadn't seemed any point in arguing, but now as Serena attempted   
to slither forward in the undergrowth she cursed the awkward stick.  
  
How am I supposed to sneak up on anything?! she complained as   
she topped the rise and the small valley from the other night came into   
view. Sure enough, there was the wolf. The beautiful black wolf. It was   
sitting there, in a circle of moonlight, waiting for her. It had been   
here every night since that first one and had begun to accompany her on   
her rounds.   
  
At first Serena was surprised, and a little annoyed, at the   
constant presence. But after the wolf helped her with a particularly   
annoying black witch, she'd reconsidered her opinion. She'd taken to   
calling it "Silk." Mainly because when it moved in the moonlight, it's   
fur looked like silk. And as Serena had discovered felt like it too.   
Not to mention calling it just "wolf" was too annoying, even for her.  
  
She waited till Silk's back was to her, before suddenly leaping   
out of the underbrush and tackling the surprised animal. They rolled   
around in the grass for a moment, till the bokken made itself known   
again.   
  
"Ouch!" Serena cried rolling onto her stomach abruptly to stop   
the wood from stabbing her lower back. She slowly stood up and smiled   
down at Silk, who was sitting at her feet. "Hey. Ready to go?" she asked   
with a wide grin. The animal leaped to its feet and lifted its nose to   
the air.  
  
After a few cautious sniffs, it took off running, Serena in hot   
pursuit.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Mask sighed and pushed himself off the tree he had been   
leaning on as Stalker ran off into the night. He was thoroughly   
frustrated with her. He'd been following her for over a week now and   
still didn't have a clue who she really was. She always managed to elude   
him at the end of the night when she was headed back to where ever she   
lived.   
  
He started to walk slowly in the direction she and the wolf had   
run off in as he thought. She sure was chummy with that animal. It made   
him all the more curious. It certainly didn't act like a normal wolf,   
but he'd never met a werewolf that partnered with a human --assuming the   
Moon Stalker was a human-- to help take down others of its own kind.  
  
It didn't make sense. That was what annoyed him the most. He was   
used to things making sense. Most of his world made sense... except   
first that whole thing with Serena, and now the Moon Stalker. At first   
he'd entertained ideas of Serena *being* the Moon Stalker, but he was   
sure now that couldn't be true. The Serena he had met was nothing like   
Stalker. Serena was so cold... his thoughts trailed off as his memory   
showed him an image of a certain red-haired girl standing on a dancing   
floor kissing a blonde-haired guy rather passionately. No... Serena   
wasn't cold... not really. Just to him, as far as he could tell.  
  
His blood boiled as he thought of that guy. He remembered his   
name was Andrew, but in Mask's mind he was only 'that guy.' The one he   
wanted to rend limb from limb so he could never touch Serena again.   
Because Mask had claimed her, just as he had claimed Stalker. True...   
he probably would never have either of them... but that didn't stop him   
from wanting one of them. Either of them. He realized he didn't really   
care which, as long as no one got the other one.   
  
He wanted them both and he couldn't have either.  
  
He sighed as Stalker and her pet, Silk, came into view. His pace   
quickened at the sounds of battle, but he stopped when he heard a voice   
he really didn't want to hear.  
  
  
  
Serena growled under her breath as she dodged the vamp's   
attempts at punching her. With a slight nod to Silk she jumped back and   
wrenched the bokken from its sheath. She mumbled some choice words at   
the guy circling the fight, looking for a way to jump in.  
  
Why did *he* have to show up?! This is NOT good.   
  
As Silk launched its self off the ground and latched its teeth   
onto the vamp's leg, Serena circled around back. With an effective lunge   
she rammed the bokken deep into the vamp's back and jumped back,   
whistling as she moved. Silk immediately dropped the hapless vamp's leg   
and sprang for freedom.   
  
As the last death cries of the vampire were heard Serena turned   
to face the guy, who was now staring at her in return.  
  
She cleared her throat and attempted to act nonchalant. "Thank   
you for your help, sir, but I have everything under control."  
  
"Stop it, don't pretend. I know you're Serena." Andrew said   
sadly with a hopeless look in his eyes. Serena caught her breath and   
looked away, the half-mask hiding her confused eyes.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Mask stopped in his tracks. Had he just heard right?   
Serena... was the... Moon Stalker? True, he'd entertained the idea, but   
surely it was absurd! Serena wouldn't go around killing monsters! Of   
course... people who knew his alter ego could say the same.  
  
Aware that he needed more information, The Mask slipped nimbly   
behind a tree.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'm sure I don't know who you're talking about, sir." Serena   
attempted to salvage the situation, but knew it was already pointless   
when Andrew started walking towards her. She noticed with grim humor   
that he skirted around Silk, who was attempting to use its teeth to pull   
the bokken out of the rapidly mummifying vampire.  
  
"Is this what you were hiding the other night? Is this why you   
threw me out... why you haven't allowed us to mind-touch again?" Andrew   
ignored her feeble protests as he stepped closer and closer, till the   
distance between them was a single stride.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Mask groaned softly. Mind-touch. Dammit, he knew that term.   
It was used only to describe the kind of contact that was achieved   
between soul-mates. If Andrew was Serena's soul-mate, he didn't have a   
chance. And if Serena was the Stalker, Mask was quite sure he would go   
insane.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Serena didn't look up as Andrew slowly reached up and cupped her   
cheek in his hand. "Serena?" he whispered quietly, as she stayed silent.  
  
There was no denying it now. The skin to skin contact was   
sending shocks all through Serena's body and she was sure the same was   
true for Andrew. It was really rather pointless when Serena finally   
decided to drop the last barrier. With a tiny sigh she reached up and   
untied the cotton portion of the mask that held the plastic part over   
her nose and eyes. Pulling the hood-like top from her head, her shoulder   
length hair tumbled down, gleaming gently in the moonlight despite its   
dark red color.   
  
Serena looked up into Andrew's eyes, the mask still clutched in   
her hand. What she saw caused her to be over whelmed with happiness. His   
eyes spoke volumes of his forgiveness and love.   
  
He wasn't mad at her for hiding this portion of her life, or   
lying to him. He seemed to understand.  
  
"I'm sorry." She needed to say it anyway, even though she knew   
he forgave her. She had to let him know that she hadn't wanted it to be   
like this. That she wasn't trying to keep him out, but that she was   
trying to protect him.  
  
His fingers stroked her cheek softly as he smiled at her. "I   
forgive you." he whispered gently as his other arm snaked around her   
waist, pulling her into his embrace. He hugged her tightly with his arms   
behind the small of her back as she leaned her head on his shoulder.  
  
Her arms slipped up around his neck and she didn't even notice   
that she was still clutching the mask.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mask growled in anger. He wanted to go in there and rip them   
apart then take Serena and go... somewhere. He didn't care where as long   
as Andrew wasn't there. Damn that man. He'd just taken both the girls   
he wanted. And he'd done so effortlessly. So what if they were   
soul-mated? That didn't give him special rights, did it? And what if   
something happened to Andrew? Serena'd be free again...  
  
"Free..." he murmured softly. "But not now... later. I'll come   
back for you, Serena." he promised softly as he turned and stalked off   
into the night.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Andrew cupped Serena's chin in his hand and forced her to look   
up at him. "Serena, we can do this together. You don't have to do it   
alone."  
  
Serena looked at him dispassionately. "No. I *have* to do this   
alone. And besides, I have Silk." She turned her head to see the wolf   
was lying on the ground, staring up at them with an expression that   
Serena would almost call happiness... if such a thing were possible.  
  
"A wolf. Is it... a werewolf?"  
  
Serena was a little surprised that Andrew knew the species. Many   
humans knew things existed, but they were afraid to learn more about   
them, as if knowledge would attract the monsters.  
  
"I don't think so. It doesn't act like a normal wolf, but I've   
never met a werewolf that didn't attack anything that could be remotely   
labeled as edible."  
  
Andrew merely lifted an eyebrow. "Still... Silk isn't a human.   
And I want to help. Don't push me out of your life, Serena."   
  
"I'm not!" she denied. "I'm not. I just don't want you to get   
hurt! Andrew, I've been doing this for two years. I know what I'm doing!"  
  
"I don't care. What if something happens to you? At least I'll   
be there to help. I couldn't bear to lose you." he ended softly, his   
face almost touching hers. Before she knew what she was doing, she   
nodded in agreement.  
  
With a gentle smile Andrew kissed her forehead. "Thank you."   
he whispered as he kissed her again, this time on her lips.   
  
She never even noticed when the mask fluttered out of her hand   
to the ground.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Luna! I have news!!" Serena called as she walked into the   
apartment. She dropped the half-mask on a side table and kicked off her   
boots, pulling the dagger from its sheath. She moved into the bedroom   
to find her cat sleeping on her bed. With a playful nudge she woke Luna   
up.  
  
"What?" the cat growled.  
  
"I have news." Serena repeated slowly. She sat on the edge of   
the bed and began to clean her bokken, waiting for Luna to say something.   
  
"Yippy skippy." Luna grumbled as she rolled over.  
  
After a moment she sighed and sat up, facing Serena.  
  
"Well?" she said slowly.  
  
"Andrew knows." Serena said simply. She watched out of the   
corner of her eye in delight as Luna went ridged with shock.  
  
"WHAT?!" She screeched finally. She jumped onto all fours, her   
fur standing up. "You told him! I don't believe this!"  
  
"I didn't tell him. He found out himself. Not like I could hide   
it. I tried, Luna. But I guess having him for a soul-mate means I don't   
get many secrets." she mussed over this quietly as Luna again froze in   
shock.  
  
This is too much for my heart. I'm gonna pass out right here.   
Luna thought melodramatically as she watched her protege put away the   
cleaned bokken. "Soul-mate?" she managed to gasp eventually.  
  
"Oh yeah, didn't I tell you?" Serena asked as she changed into   
her sleeping clothes and headed to the bathroom.   
  
"No. You neglected that little fact." Luna growled as she   
followed Serena.  
  
"Sorry." Serena mumbled around a mouth full of toothpaste. "Oh   
yeah, he wants to help with the slaying."  
  
"NO!" Luna cried. "Absolutely not! You can't have anyone help   
you! Your emotions will get in the way of your fighting and you'll do   
something STUPID!" She yelled.   
  
"Hush, Luna. These walls are thin and I do have neighbors. And   
you don't have a say in the matter. I already said he could." Serena   
reprimanded Luna softly as she went back down the short hallway to her   
bedroom.  
  
"You had no right." Luna growled, quieter as she started to pace   
in Serena's bedroom.   
  
"I do too." Serena said around a yawn as she pulled the covers   
down. "He is my soul-mate after all. I should get to decide."  
  
"I'm not happy with you, Serena. Not at all." Luna said,   
pointing out the obvious as she attempted to wear a hole in the rug.  
  
"Oh... one other thing. There's this wolf, Silk, that's been   
helping me too." Serena said as her eyes drifted closed.  
  
"WHAT? A werewolf has been helping you?! HOW MANY MORE SECRETS   
DO YOU HAVE?!" Luna yelled, albeit softly, at the prone form. It was too   
late though. Serena was fast asleep and all questions would have to wait.   
"That girl's gonna put me in an early grave." Luna muttered as she   
stalked out of the room.  
  
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E-mail!! Me gusta e-mail! OpiumChicken@yahoo.com  
Guestbook!! Me gusta guestbook! http://ziskaames.tripod.com/stories/  
  
Ja ne,  
Zi-chan 


	5. Moon Stalker

I don't own Sailor Moon or the Night World.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Moon Stalker"  
Recorded by Ziska Ames  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
CHAPTER FIVE  
  
AN: "Ke'chara" means beloved. I got it from a book I read by Mercedes   
  
Lackey. Wonderful author. ^_^  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Serena woke up and stretched luxuriously in bed. It wasn't   
  
often she got to sleep till she woke up on her own instead of having   
  
the alarm attempt to put a hole in her ear drum. She moaned softly and   
  
rolled to look out the window. The sun wasn't very high and a glance at   
  
her clock confirmed that it was only nine o'clock.  
  
"I can't even sleep late any more... This just isn't fair." she   
  
mumbled into the pillow. A sudden weight landed on her back causing her   
  
to yelp and literally leap out of bed. "Luna!" She yelled as the cat   
  
smirked and settled into the spot Serena had just vacated.  
  
"I think you deserved that after shocking me senseless last   
  
night, Serena."  
  
For a moment Serena stood there waiting for her brain to kick   
  
in, then realization lit her face. "Oh... sorry about that, Luna. I   
  
kept meaning to tell you, and then I would forget. But better late than   
  
never, right?" she said as she sat down on the carpet and yawned. "I   
  
can't believe I'm up this early."  
  
"Don't change the subject, Serena."  
  
Drat.  
  
"Now listen, I don't want you being around that werewolf   
  
anymore. It's bad news, Serena. It could be setting you up for a trap."  
  
"Oh, Luna. Silk isn't a werewolf! I'd be dead by now! It's just   
  
a regular wolf who, for some reason, has an affinity to be nice!"  
  
"Don't interrupt. Werewolf or not it's a bad idea."  
  
"You can't stop me, Luna, unless you intended to start coming   
  
with me on my rounds. And we both remember what happened last time."   
  
Oh yes, Luna remembered. She'd never been so embarrassed in all   
  
her life. She really was more of a housecat than a stalker.  
  
"Well, I guess I can't stop you. But I really don't think it is   
  
advisable, Serena."  
  
"I'll be careful, Luna! Don't worry." Serena said as her brain   
  
finally kicked in and she started moving around to get dressed.   
  
"Where's my green sweater?"  
  
"And this whole thing with Andrew. When did this come up?" Luna   
  
asked ignoring Serena.  
  
"When I went to the club. Now I know I washed it the other day."   
  
she mumbled as she searched her drawers leaving piles of folded clothes   
  
on the floor.  
  
"Well, it isn't often you just find your soul-mate like that!   
  
How do you know it is the real thing?"  
  
"I know, Luna. It's not something that can be easily faked.   
  
Maybe the sweater's in my closet." Serena said as she moved to her   
  
forest green closet doors and opened them wide. She began searching the   
  
top shelf for the elusive green sweater pulling stuffed animals down   
  
from hidden corners and dropping them behind her.  
  
"Serena, please pay attention!"  
  
"Where is that darn thing?! Luna, did you hide it?" Serena   
  
asked as she hastily tossed the animals back into her closet and pushed   
  
on the doors to shut it.  
  
"Why would I hide your sweater?" Luna asked scandalized.  
  
"Well, you do things like that sometimes. Remember when you hid   
  
my purple shirt for a month?" she finally got the closet closed and   
  
stepped away, waiting for it to spring open. Luckily, it stayed closed.  
  
"You weren't fit to be seen in public in that thing. It was   
  
much to small."  
  
"They're made that way, Luna!" Serena said as she went to   
  
search the hallway closet. "It's not my fault the designer decided to   
  
cut them so short. Yes! I found it!"   
  
She reappeared a moment later in her loose-knit grass green   
  
sweater. "Now where did those hiphuggers go?"  
  
Luna sighed in defeat and settled herself to wait till Serena   
  
was ready.  
  
  
  
Serena sighed happily as she walked out into the slightly crisp   
  
fall air. She'd finally gotten Luna off her back about Andrew and   
  
convinced her that having a slaying partner, two in fact, was not such   
  
a bad thing after all.   
  
She smiled to herself as she set off at a brisk walk to The   
  
Laughing Planet. It was a club by night and an eatery by day. She and   
  
Andrew had agreed to meet there last night and Serena couldn't wait to   
  
see him again. She couldn't believe that only a couple days ago she'd   
  
been so convinced that a boyfriend was the worst thing in the world for   
  
her. Of course, Andrew wasn't really a boyfriend so much as part of her   
  
soul. But she wasn't sure she could explain that to Mina or Raye at the   
  
moment.  
  
As she approached The Planet she could see Andrew was already   
  
there, holding an outside table for them. She came up, kissed his cheek   
  
and slid into the seat next to his. "Hi." she said sweetly. "I hope you   
  
don't mind, but I invited Raye, Mina, Darien and Diamond to eat lunch   
  
with us."   
  
"That's okay. But we really need to talk later." he said as he   
  
turned and caught a waiter by the sleeve, telling her they needed four   
  
more place settings.   
  
"Hi guys!" Mina said as she sat down. She smiled gently at   
  
Serena and nodded her acceptance of the situation. She wasn't mad at   
  
Serena for being with Andrew, but she was a little disappointed. But   
  
there were lots of other fish in the sea, as her friend Lita loved to   
  
say.  
  
"Hi, Mina." Andrew said with a smile and a pleasant nod. Serena   
  
opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by Raye.  
  
"Hello, beautiful people! How are we?" she said sliding into a   
  
seat across from Serena.   
  
"Good. But starving." Serena said as she finally looked at the   
  
menu.  
  
"I can agree with you on that point." Diamond said as he and   
  
Darien arrived, completing the group. Serena smiled at them and then   
  
turned back to the menu.  
  
Soon sounds of rumbling stomachs could be heard as the group   
  
looked over the delicious options. Eventually they all decided on   
  
burritos and lunch was filled with mindless chatter, mainly from   
  
Serena, Mina and Raye.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Andrew glanced over at Serena who was some how managing to eat   
  
and talk at the same time. He couldn't believe she was his soul-mate   
  
--his flying mate-- his one and only forever. He'd had a crush on her   
  
for as long as he'd known her, practically since they met in high   
  
school. He'd had girlfriends before, but it had never been as special,   
  
as complete, as this. Serena was his, the only one he would ever need.   
  
He sighed happily and glanced around the table, sweeping his   
  
eyes over the others. His gaze came to an abrupt rest on Diamond, who   
  
was also staring at Serena.   
  
He'd noticed Diamond's gaze on her a number of times, and it   
  
made his blood boil. Nobody else knew just how connected he and Serena   
  
were, but he still didn't think Diamond should have the audacity to   
  
*stare*. Andrew glared at him, fixing his eyes on Diamond's own purple   
  
ones.   
  
Diamond looked up abruptly, his eyes meeting Andrew's in a   
  
clash of male challenge. Andrew almost looked away. He flinched   
  
visibly, but held his ground giving Diamond stare for stare till he   
  
looked away, facing Raye instead of Serena.  
  
Andrew was shaken. He'd seen a fierce *want* in Diamond's deep   
  
purple eyes. A want and a need that Andrew couldn't begin to understand,   
  
but that scared him to the very marrow of his bones.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Raye was jealous. She was damned jealous of the way Serena had   
  
captured the attention of every one of the males at the table. Darien   
  
wasn't looking at her, instead staring fixedly at a random tree, but it   
  
was obvious that he was straining to hear every word, that every nuance   
  
of her voice had an effect on him. Raye could feel it with that sixth   
  
sense that told you the phone was about to ring, or to get out of the   
  
street because a car was coming. Or that something horridly awful had   
  
happened.  
  
Raye shut her eyes briefly, breaking her gaze on Darien's face,   
  
afraid she'd be drawn into that feeling and never escape. After a   
  
moment, and a number of deep breaths, she reopened her eyes just as   
  
Diamond turned to face her.  
  
Purple eyes clashed with purple and Raye knew she was in love.   
  
Completely and truly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Darien now knew there were exactly twenty-two branches on the   
  
tree and that together they all sported a total of one hundred and   
  
fifty-seven leaves. He also knew that Serena's red hair could turn a   
  
brilliant auburn in direct sunlight and that her laughing eyes were a   
  
sparkling pale blue. He knew that her voice was a clear soprano with   
  
just the right pitch to force tingles to run up and down his spine.   
  
He'd tried. He'd tried so hard not to look at her, but he   
  
couldn't help it. So what if Andrew was her boyfriend, that didn't mean   
  
he couldn't *look* at the ravishing beauty across the table.  
  
But, of course, it basically did mean that. Darien had never   
  
been the type to try and fight for a girl, especially one he barely   
  
knew, but something made him want to fight desperately for Serena's   
  
heart. He just wished he could figure out what that something was.  
  
Maybe then he could stop these strange feelings. The ones he   
  
was strongly beginning to suspect were trying to tell him he was in   
  
love.  
  
  
  
"I talked to Luna." Serena said as she and Andrew walked down   
  
Walnut Street to Serena's apartment building.  
  
"Your cat?" Andrew asked after a moment.  
  
"Yeah... she's more of an inside helper actually. She got me   
  
into this whole mess of slaying in the dead of night when I should be   
  
sleeping."  
  
"How?" Andrew didn't sound skeptical so much as blatantly   
  
curious.  
  
"Well, about two years ago she just showed up on my door step,   
  
dropped my half-mask at my feet, and told me to follow her. Needless to   
  
say I slammed the door and hid in the bedroom."  
  
Andrew's outburst of laughter caused Serena's grin to widen   
  
more than she had thought possible. "You?! Hiding from a cat?" he   
  
crowed between whoops of laughter. Serena stopped walking and glared at   
  
him till he regained control and managed to look at her without   
  
breaking down in giggles.  
  
"Sorry, sorry. It was just a funny image in my mind."  
  
"Yes, well, what would you do if a mysterious cat showed up and   
  
told you to come with her?"  
  
"Probably the exact thing you did."   
  
"So there you have it. Now, do you wanna know the rest or not?"   
  
Serena asked with a tiny pout.  
  
"Of course, I want to hear the rest, ke'chara." Andrew said   
  
softly as he smiled at her and slipped his arm around her shoulders.   
  
She relaxed and leaned into the embrace as she continued.  
  
"After that Luna somehow managed to get into my apartment --she   
  
never did tell me how-- and after much prodding and convincing, got me   
  
to go with her. I put on the mask, grabbed a sharp stick and followed   
  
her into the woods." Serena took a deep breath. The next part was the   
  
worst, she'd never told anyone but Raye... "When I saw the vampire   
  
killing a human... I guess, instinct took over. I killed the leech   
  
and... then I buried the body of the human." she looked away for a   
  
moment and blinked rapidly. She pretended it didn't bother her in front   
  
of Luna and Raye, but when she saw the lifeless body of a victim, it   
  
made her heart cry out in anguish. It just wasn't fair to them, no   
  
matter how Serena tried to do justice to their killer. It was never   
  
enough to bring breath back into the broken bodies, to make them live   
  
again.  
  
Andrew stopped and just held her for a matter of minutes as   
  
silent tears coursed down her cheeks. That first night was always the   
  
worst to remember. The dead girl had been Molly, one of her best friends.  
  
After a moment Andrew pulled away and looked at her. He kissed   
  
her forehead and smiled sadly. "I'm so sorry. I never knew Molly very   
  
well, but thank you for making me a part of your life like this.   
  
Telling me these things means so much more to me than if I were to   
  
happen across them in your mind. I want you to tell me stuff because   
  
you want me to know it, not because it drops into my head."  
  
"How did you know it was Molly?" Serena asked softly.  
  
"It just dropped into my mind. She was all you were thinking   
  
about a moment ago, and rightly so. She was a good friend and she   
  
deserves to be mourned correctly." he kissed her on the forehead again   
  
and began to walk. Serena walked along with him blindly for a moment,   
  
before finally shaking her head and allowing the memory to leave her   
  
again.  
  
  
  
"Stake?"  
  
"Got it."  
  
"Say check."  
  
"Check."  
  
"Bokken?"  
  
"Got i-check."  
  
Luna smirked and continued to name off weapons and Serena   
  
continued to acknowledge them as she suited up. Two silver blades in   
  
her boots and two up her sleeves guaranteed she could handle most   
  
werewolves. The bokken strapped to her back and the two stakes stuck in   
  
her belt would handle vampires and any of those weapons would take care   
  
of a witch.   
  
As a knock came on the back door, Serena grabbed the extra   
  
weapons and patted Luna on the head. "Don't wait up!" she called as she   
  
slipped outside to join Andrew.  
  
"Here. I brought you a stake and blade. The holster straps to   
  
your arm and you do this to get it into your hand." She suddenly   
  
snapped her wrist sideways and forward. One of the blades suddenly   
  
gleamed up at them from her hand. "The only problem is putting it back."   
  
she said as she pushed her sleeve up and re-holstered the blade.  
  
After a few moments of practice Andrew was capable of pulling   
  
the blade out fairly well, though throwing them would take much more   
  
expertise. The stake he stuck in his belt and soon they were off.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Stay behind me. I'm better at sneaking around and if I need   
  
you, I'll call. They had decided on mind-speech as it was completely   
  
silent and undetectable. Silk bounded at Serena's side as the three of   
  
them raced across the open field. Serena loved to run and although the   
  
bokken slowed her down a little, the feeling of the wind in her hair   
  
was one she would never give up willingly.  
  
Got it. Andrew acknowledged. Serena was a little surprised   
  
at his stamina. The night was half over and he was almost as fresh as   
  
she was. They hadn't come upon any thing yet, but running around in the   
  
woods for hours was usually enough to tire most people out.  
  
A rustling in the trees to Serena's right caused her to   
  
suddenly stop. Wait... listen. she said as she strained her ears   
  
into the wind.  
  
The bushes rustled again and Serena smiled slightly. She knew   
  
who was out there. He may think he was sneaky, but she could usually   
  
tell when he was following her. Although there were those occasions   
  
when she wouldn't know he was there till he suddenly jumped into the   
  
fight and helped her and Silk dispatch a particularly nasty vampire or   
  
'wolf.  
  
Those instances proved that she didn't always know he was   
  
there, but now she knew it was definitely him, without a doubt.  
  
"Come out, Mask. I know you are there." She said. She stood   
  
cockily next to Andrew with Silk sitting between them as the shadowed   
  
figure emerged from the woods. She heard Andrew's frantic thought to   
  
run and instantly sent a wave of reassurance.  
  
It was true though. Seeing a tall stranger completely outfitted   
  
in black except his hands was enough to make any one want to run. His   
  
presence sometimes seemed to suffocate Serena when he was close to her.   
  
Although she would never admit it, he scared her sometimes. He was the   
  
perfect look-a-like of any random mugger on the street.  
  
But he never acted any less than gentlemanly and that always   
  
helped to easy her fears.   
  
"Stalker." he said in greeting. He nodded to them all and then   
  
just stood there.  
  
"Mask, I don't believe I ever asked you to follow me."  
  
"No, you did not. You never said I couldn't either. I know this   
  
is your 'territory', so to speak, but I have no where else to hunt. And  
  
you know the feeling of needing to take out the monsters. You can't   
  
stop yourself sometimes." His voice was cold and detached, sending a   
  
shiver of fear down her spine.  
  
"I would appreciate it if you didn't follow me anymore. I can   
  
handle things and my friends will help me."  
  
"Ah, yes. The human and the wolf. You do realize it is a   
  
werewolf? I know you may not believe it, but I've seen it change back   
  
to its other form."  
  
"Then how come you never killed it? If this need is so great,   
  
why didn't you ever just make Silk disappear at some point?" Serena   
  
asked as she stored the knowledge in her brain that he *knew* about   
  
Andrew. Possibly knew more than he was telling. It was something to   
  
think about later, but not now. Not during this verbal sparring match.  
  
"I was waiting till it would help serve my purposes. You may   
  
not realize it, but I do have a personal agenda in all this as well."  
  
"And what would that be?"   
  
"You." he said simply. Suddenly, he dived between Serena and   
  
Andrew, grabbed Silk around the middle and sprinted off into the night,   
  
hitting Silk hard on the temple as he ran. Serena's shocked mind worked   
  
frantically for a couple moments before realizing that her friend had   
  
just been kidnapped, and knocked out, by a man she had thought was an   
  
ally.  
  
"No!" She screamed belatedly as she suddenly sprang into motion   
  
chasing after the Mask and Silk. But it was already too late. They were   
  
lost to the forest and lost to her.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
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That's it for now, minna!! Comments are always appreciated. ^_^  
  
Ja ne,  
Zi-chan  
  



	6. Moon Stalker

Hehehehe... that's all I'm saying about this chapter!!  
  
Disclaimer: Me no own.  
  
I'm addicted to replies. Please feed a poor girl's addiction.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Moon Stalker"  
Recorded by Ziska Ames  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Six  
  
"I absolutely forbid you, Serena!"  
  
Serena looked up from lacing her shoes and stared Luna   
straight in the eye. "You can't stop me." She said slowly. "In case   
you haven't noticed, I'm nineteen. I'm an adult, Luna. You can't   
forbid me to do anything. I make all my own decisions and I'm making   
the decision to go look for Silk. And I'm making the decision to take   
Andrew with me. And I'm making the decision against what you want."   
She stood up and began to assemble her weaponry.  
  
"Serena!! This is absurd! It's a werewolf! Why are you saving   
it?" Luna asked her eyes wide and a bit of fear showing through.  
  
Serena dropped to one knee so she was eye level with the   
feline on her bed. "Luna, Silk is my friend just as much as you are.   
If you were in trouble, I'd do anything to save you, and I'm doing the   
same for Silk. Even if it is a werewolf, Silk's my friend." She spoke   
softly and gently as Luna's expression trembled between wild fear and   
anger.  
  
"Serena..." She trailed off as Serena stood up and headed for   
the door. "Don't get hurt... I couldn't bear it if I lost you."  
  
Serena turned back and tears glistened in her brilliant blue   
eyes. "Oh, Luna... don't worry. I'll come back. I swear it." She   
turned and walked out the door.  
  
Luna hung her head. "I hope so. Good luck, Serena. Good luck."  
  
  
  
"So... what's the plan?" Andrew asked softly as the walked   
through the forest to the place where they last saw Silk.   
  
"Basically, you stay in the woods. I'll go into the clearing   
and... see if maybe I can lure him out... then I'll try to get him to   
either bring Silk there or take me wherever Silk is."  
  
"What if he disagrees? What if he tries to kidnap you?"   
Andrew's voice betrayed his fear for his soul-mate as it wavered.  
  
"Oh Andrew." Serena stopped and turned to face him. "You and   
Luna are quite a pair. Don't worry, I'd never leave you." She hugged   
him close and he responded instantly. They shared a sweet, gentle kiss   
under the moonlight before a sense of urgency hit Serena and she   
pulled back. "We have to go..."   
  
She turned instantly and began to pick up her speed through   
the woods. Suddenly they were at the clearing and she threw her arm   
out to the side to stop Andrew as she halted herself.  
  
The clearing was practically empty... except for the black   
bundle in the middle of it. And the man standing non-chalantly behind   
the bundle. He had his back to her for the moment and she took the   
chance to slid behind a tree and pull Andrew with her.  
  
Resorting to the quietest form of communication she knew she   
told Andrew the finally plan. Stay here. If I need you, I'll call   
for you. Otherwise... stay here, no matter what!  
  
She looked him in the eye till he nodded, then taking a deep   
breath, stepped into the clearing.  
  
"Hello, Mask." She said as she strode carefully, slowly,   
closer to him. He turned slowly, as if he was expecting her from that   
direction and nodded slightly.  
  
"Serena."  
  
Serena took a chance and glanced down at Silk. The poor wolf   
was bound paw to paw to paw to paw. Absolutely no chance to escape.   
And once Serena had untied it, it would be hard put to stand up, much   
less walk or run, for a number of hours.  
  
"I suppose you want your little pet back."  
  
"I would like my friend, yes." Serena corrected him with a   
distinctive chill in her voice.   
  
"Then take her."  
  
Her. Serena thought decisively, happily. She'd never dared   
to check what Silk's sex was. It had seemed to much of an indignity.   
Serena stared at the Mask's face, wishing to the Hundred Little Gods   
that she could see his eyes, as she stepped closer to Silk, taking a   
small berth around Mask. He turned with her, as if keeping eye contact,   
till they were standing on either side of Silk.  
  
Slowly, keeping her eyes on the Mask, Serena bent down and   
reached for the knots binding Silk.   
  
"You do realize I need a trade." The Mask's voice stopped her   
hands and she stood up again till she was as tall as she could be,   
though she still came only to his shoulder.  
  
"Meaning?"   
  
"You for your... friend." There was an obvious distaste to the   
word as he said it, but Serena ignored it. Her expression hardened and   
it was obvious to the Mask. She hadn't bothered to wear her half-mask.   
It was a bit restrictive on her vision and he already knew who she was   
anyway.  
  
"That hardly seems fair." She told him after a moment.  
  
"What would you consider fair?"  
  
Serena was silent again. She didn't have anything else to give   
him and if that was the only way to get Silk back... She had to save   
her friend.  
  
Andrew... step out of the woods but stay on the edge of the   
forest.  
  
The Mask turned his head slightly when Andrew stepped out and   
shifted his weight so he could more than likely see Andrew and Serena   
at the same time. "Are you offering him?" The Mask asked softly,   
amusement and disdain lacing his voice.  
  
"Hardly." Serena said just as softly. She knew at this level   
Andrew wouldn't be able to hear their conversation. That was just as   
well. "You want me. Fine. Allow me to give Silk to Andrew, let them   
go, and I'll go with you."  
  
The Mask was utterly silent for a moment, then spoke   
breathlessly. "You swear?"  
  
"I swear on the Hundred Little Gods."   
  
He nodded and stepped back so she wasn't in his imposing   
shadow. She quickly knelt to the ground and cut the bonds around Silk's   
paws. She was unconscious and Serena gently hoisted her into her arms.  
  
She walked slowly to Andrew and handed him the wolf. "Take her   
to Luna... she'll take care of her."  
  
"What about you?" Andrew's eyes were wide and full of fear for   
her.  
  
"I'll... come as soon as I can. I love you, Andrew... take care   
of Silk." She turned quickly and walked away before she started sobbing.   
The Mask stood impassively in the middle of the field waiting for her.  
  
"Serena!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Andrew stared for a moment at Serena's back as she stepped   
closer and closer to the person in the middle of the field.   
  
"Serena!" he cried. "Don't go... I can't let you!" He gently,   
albeit quickly, set Silk down and ran after her, grabbing her arm and   
turning her to face him.   
  
"Andrew... I have to. He's agreed to let you guys go if I go   
with him. You must understand!"  
  
"I won't! I won't let you." He whispered fiercely, his grip   
gentling as he drew her close to him. A sudden growl to his side   
caused both him and Serena to turn as Silk suddenly wrenched herself   
up right and took a flying leap at the Mask.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I won't! I won't let you."   
  
Raye could hear him, but she couldn't force her eyes open. She   
was so tired. So weak.   
  
Serena. I have to protect Serena. The idea of Serena going   
with that mad man. Raye had spent less than a day in his company and   
it had been horrible. She couldn't let her friend submit herself.  
  
With a growl of rage she forced her feet under herself and   
leaped at the man in the mask.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Silk!" Serena cried as she ripped her arm out of Andrew's   
hold and tried to jump to grab her friend. But Andrew pulled her back,   
using his weight and her momentum to throw her behind him and himself   
forward. He hit Silk in the side, knocking her off course and out of   
the way of the knife the Mask had hurled at her from his own hidden   
sheath.  
  
But the knife hit Andrew in the side, imbedding itself deep in   
the tissue of his stomach. The pain was amazing, and final. Serena felt   
it hit her and she doubled over, falling to the ground, gripping her   
flawless side.  
  
Through tear-blurred eyes she saw Andrew, lying on the ground   
on top of Silk, blood covering them both. A sobbed ripped itself out   
of her throat as she crawled towards her fallen soul-mate.  
  
She ignored the pain in her side and pulled Silk from under   
Andrew. She cradled his head in her arms, holding him as he gasped for   
breath. She looked up and saw Raye, coming from behind her, kneel down   
and gently pull the knife from his side. He screamed.  
  
It was horrible and a new wave of tears poured from Serena's   
eyes. "Oh Andrew... I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." She moaned as she   
kissed his forehead again and again.  
  
"Serena..." he gasped. She pulled back to look at him. "I   
love... you."   
  
"Andrew... oh, Andrew... Don't leave me! Don't leave!"  
  
Andrew smiled at her, gently, as he reached up a hand, shaking   
from the effort, to brush her cheek. She grabbed it, holding it   
desperately to her face as she sobbed, crying out the pain he couldn't.  
  
"Good bye, my love... do not... mourn me... forever..."  
  
"Andrew... Andrew..." she whispered again and again as his   
hand slackened, the life pouring out of his body from the open wound   
which Raye was desperately attempting to staunch.  
  
Slowly, his eyes closed. Serena moaned softly, unable to voice   
her pain in more than a gasping sob as the tears flooded her body.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Raye moaned softly in her mind as Serena pulled her out from   
under Andrew. She was quite content just to stay her till her protesting   
muscles came back from being jello. But Serena's moans and cries   
wouldn't let her rest.  
  
Finally her mind grasped the idea that Andrew was in trouble.   
Terrible trouble.   
  
With a quivering grip on her mind, she pictured her human body,   
pulling herself back into it. It took her much longer than normal and   
almost as soon as the skintight leotard solidified around her body she   
was crawling around Serena to look at Andrew.  
  
It was terrible. Her face paled at the sight of the knife   
blade in his side. She glanced at Serena then set her jaw and gripped   
the handle.  
  
"I'm sorry." she whispered as she tried to gently pull the   
knife from his side. It slipped out easily and Raye thanked the   
Hundred Little Gods that it wasn't caught in the muscle. There was a   
chance.   
  
"Maybe..." that word hovered on her lips as she worked   
frantically to staunch the blood. She didn't know much about wounds,   
but she did know a little. She ripped Andrew's shirt, tying a   
tourniquet above and below the wound and pressing more cloth to the   
wound itself.   
  
Andrew's soft good-bye pulled Raye out of her little world.   
"No." she whispered. "No!"   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Serena looked down into Andrew's lifeless eyes and gently   
closed them, laying his head on the ground.  
  
"No. No!" She turned to see Raye, purple eyes wide and   
glittering feverishly, still attempting to stop the blood.  
  
She reached over and gently grabbed Raye's hands in her own.   
"Raye... Raye!" She yelled as Raye ignored her, shaking the hands away   
and pressing the cloth tighter.  
  
Serena wrenched Raye around to face her and pulled her into   
her arms. "It's too late... he's... he's..." she couldn't finish. She   
couldn't. She sobbed quietly into her friend's shoulder and Raye   
seemed to finally get it. She cried quietly as well and held her   
friend close, both drawing strength from the other.  
  
After a few moments Serena's mind brought up another picture.   
One of a man all in black wearing a black mask. One who was in the   
pose of throwing a knife. The same knife in his hand that had been   
buried in Andrew's side.  
  
Her eyes glittered with hatred as the tears dried almost   
instantly and anger filled the place of grief. She pulled away from   
Raye and stood up. "You... killed... my... soul-mate." she whispered   
harshly, knowing he could hear her.  
  
She whipped around to glare at the man who had killed her love   
and stopped dead. Horror filled her eyes and a hand flew to her mouth.   
Raye gave a strangled sob behind her as she saw the man standing before   
them.  
  
He had taken off the mask to reveal a shocked face, as full of   
pain and grief as Serena and Raye's. That alone would have stopped   
Serena in her killing rage, but the white hair spilling over his   
shoulders and the sorrow-filled purple eyes caused her mind to reel.  
  
The Mask was Diamond.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
*evil cackle* How many of you expected that?! Sorry, I was going to have  
Darien as the mask... but I was in a funky mood and decided to make it  
more twisted. Plus Darien was just SO predictable. Ya know??  
  
Comments!! COMMENTS!!! 


	7. Moon Stalker

**************************************************************************** ******  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
**************************************************************************** ******  
  
"No." The sound was so loud in comparison with the quiet that had settled over the clearing. It rang in Serena's ears and it took her about ten seconds to realize it had come from Raye.  
  
"No. Diamond." it was a brief whisper and Serena turned to look at her friend. Raye was kneeling on the ground behind her, purple eyes livid with tears. She stood up slowly and walked past Serena, her entire focus on Diamond.  
  
She came to a halt directly in front of him, not quite closely to touch, and turned a terrible sad face up to him. She didn't speak at first and as Serena watched Diamond took his gaze from Andrew and rested it on Raye. A mask of impartiality covered the vulnerability that had shown there a moment before.  
  
"You said you loved me." Raye said it quietly and somehow her voice was steady. Serena sucked her breath in, afraid to say anything.  
  
Diamond was silent. He dropped the hood to the ground and kept eye contact with Raye as he raised one hand up to touch her cheek. She half-closed her eyes and leaned her face into the caress. Gently he slid his hand down till it rested against her throat.  
  
With a sudden violent wrench he grabbed her throat and hurled her into a tree. Raye screamed before falling to the ground. She didn't move.  
  
"I lied." Diamond said simply drawing Serena's horrified attention back to him. He turned to look at her. She scrambled to her feet and backed away. "Serena." he murmured softly taking a step towards her.  
  
"Stay away!" Serena yelled as she stumbled back a little more. Her eyes were wide with shock. "You're crazy. You just killed two of my best friends!" she accused.  
  
He shrugged his shoulders and stopped where he was. "I'd do anything to have you." he told her.  
  
She shuddered and looked away. Suddenly she flicked her hand out and forward, but the knife missed by a mile, embedding itself into a tree trunk. She was shaking so badly her aim was completely off. And she was out of weapons except the bokken.  
  
She reached up and gripped the handle before pulling it out of the sheath. It felt amazingly light and she looked down to discover a half-foot of wood in her hands with a splintered end. Somehow she had broken it. She groaned and tossed the wood angrily to the side. Then she lost her anger, and depression overwhelmed her. She slumped her shoulders and waited.  
  
Diamond smirked and took another step towards her. "Don't worry, Serena. I'll take care of everything now. You don't have to fight me."  
  
She stood where she was, shaking, her eyes cast on the ground till he stepped into her view. She stared at the boots and didn't attempt to move away as he put an arm around her waist and drew her close to him. There was no point in fighting any more. Raye and Andrew were dead.  
  
Serena shut her eyes tight as two hot tears slid down her cheeks. She'd failed.  
  
Diamond cupped her chin in one hand and lifted her face upwards. She kept her eyes closed and didn't flinch away when she felt chapped hands gently brush her cheek.  
  
She set herself for the inevitable and wasn't surprised when his mouth suddenly covered her's. The intensity did surprise her, though. Andrew, the only other guy she had ever kissed, was always gentle, slow.  
  
Diamond was attempting to possess her. She felt crushed under his want and didn't attempt to respond as his lips crushed hers. She resolutely kept her lips locked together, keeping the kiss some-what chaste despite Diamond's attempts to the contrary. Finally, he pulled away.  
  
She turned her head away as she a number of more tears slipped from her eyes.  
  
"Serena." she didn't respond. Didn't even acknowledge him. Her heart was completely shattered. He'd killed her when Andrew died. There was a hole in her heart, in her soul, that ached to be filled. But Diamond could never fill it. She doubted any one could.  
  
"Serena." The word was a command. A harsh one that Serena didn't dare disobey. She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to face him. His eyes locked with her's and for a moment he didn't speak.  
  
He opened his mouth and Serena broke eye contact. She never heard what he said because as soon as she glanced over his shoulder her attention was drawn to the shadow under the tree. The one with Darien's eyes, hair and build.  
  
Her eyes widened fractionally and she looked away, forcing her gaze to Diamond. Hope lit a fire deep inside her and she knew she had to keep Diamond talking. She couldn't let him know Darien was there. And Serena fervently hoped Darien was there to help her.  
  
  
  
"Damn him. He did it again!" Darien growled as he walked along the sidewalk. Yet again, to Darien's everlasting annoyance, Diamond had stolen the costume and gone off into the night. And now Darien had to go find his friend.  
  
Darien had heard the rumors of people seeing the Mask in town. He'd been annoyed at first, certain they were making it up. After all, they had their own fighter, the Moon Stalker, why did they need to pretend the Mask was there too?  
  
But then he'd noticed how late Diamond was coming in. And the fact that he couldn't find the costume last night had finally clicked it all together.  
  
Darien had moved to the States to retire. He had been the Mask for years in Australia and he was tired of it. He'd trained a replacement and turned the title over to him. But for some reason he had kept the costume. Nostalgic intentions, he supposed.  
  
Diamond, his best friend for years, had decided to come with him. Darien had been hesitant. He'd wanted a new life, but Diamond was his friend. He'd agreed and now he was deeply regretting it.  
  
Diamond had done this at times in Australia. He took the costume and used it to get girls. Darien snorted in remembrance. He'd always wiped their memories afterwards. You couldn't have people running around saying they knew the Mask and that he was a vampire.  
  
That was what really irked Darien. Diamond 'caught' girls to feed off them. And that was just wrong. Darien was human, and he had kept Diamond's secret when they first met, but at the moment he was sincerely wishing he had just stabbed the guy at some point.  
  
His fears hit a high when he heard the scream.  
  
His legs, accustomed to racing to the scene of the crime, immediately took off into the woods.  
  
Red covered his vision when he saw Serena in Diamond's arms. The feeling of anger increased when he noticed Andrew on the ground. He took a step forward and almost tripped over something else.  
  
Looking down he saw it was Raye. He quickly checked her pulse and breathed a sigh of relief. It was slow, but strong. She would be okay till he could get her professional help.  
  
He looked up to see Diamond kiss Serena and almost launched himself at Diamond that very moment. But he held back, crouched in the edge of the forest, till Diamond broke the kiss pulling back.  
  
They didn't seem to be talking, just staring. He stood up as Serena looked over. He saw her eyes widen and she suddenly turned back to Diamond.  
  
Good girl. Darien thought with approval. He looked around quickly. He need something. that. He needed that.  
  
He crept a little ways around the clearing till he came to the broken peice of bokken. Slowly he picked it up and examined it. Perfect.  
  
He moved back around till he was directly behind Diamond. Slowly he stood up and crept out into the clearing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Serena caught her breath when she noticed Darien pick up the broken bokken out of the corner of her eye. She shifted slightly in Diamond's arms and he stopped talking abruptly.  
  
Serena hoped desperately that he hadn't asked her a question. She hadn't been paying attention and now his complete attention was on her.  
  
Serena's eyes widened as Darien stepped on a twig and froze.  
  
"Did you hear something?" Diamond asked his gaze coming off Serena. He moved to turn around and Serena desperately threw her arms around his shoulder.  
  
"What? I didn't here anything!" She giggled, desperately, but it worked. He turned back to look at her. "You know Diamond. I've been thinking. I really didn't give you a fair chance. I mean, you are so cute and all and I just went with. Andrew. without a second thought." She choked slightly on his name, willing the tears down.  
  
Diamond smirked. "Seeing your mistake, dear?" he murmured. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. Serena smiled.  
  
"Yeah well. everyone makes mistakes."  
  
"I can forgive you, Serena. If you promise to be mine forever."  
  
"Forever.?" She choked out slowly.  
  
"Forever." He practically moaned as he lowered his lips to her neck. She looked over his shoulder and locked eyes with Darien. Desperation showed clearly in her eyes and he nodded as he again began to creep up close to Diamond's exposed back.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Darien gritted his teeth in annoyance as the twig snapped. He frozen, every muscle taunt as Serena managed to distract Diamond.  
  
He was just close enough to hear what they were saying and he stiffened at Diamond's proposal. He noticed that Serena did manage to avoid promising anything, but a new urgency hit him. Diamond was moving closer to his throat.  
  
Darien was coldly certain that Serena did not know Diamond was a vampire. But Darien was quite sure he could see what he was up to.  
  
He caught Serena's eyes and nodded to her. He hated that look of depression on her face. She was completely ready to give in. He glanced at Andrew's body and saw the wound for the first time. So that was it. Andrew was dead and she probably thought Raye was too.  
  
He almost growled in his throat, but caught himself as he sneaked closer and closer. He was only a few steps away when Serena's eyes suddenly widened and a scream erupted from her throat.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At first Serena was just shocked when she thought she felt the brush of teeth on her neck. The next second she hit a total shock when she felt Diamond suddenly bury his teeth in her throat. It was a moment later when the pain of giving blood unwillingly caused her to scream.  
  
It hurt like hell. The blood was being pulled against her will out of her system. And harshly. Diamond had her arms pressed against her side and was sucking harshly nipping her skin every once in a while.  
  
She tried to pull away, but that only caused it to hurt more. And there was a pressure on her mind. It felt like a reverse of her connection with Andrew.  
  
Diamond was attempting to cause a connection mind to mind. But he couldn't connect with Serena. For some reason he couldn't get into her mind.  
  
Serena was grateful for the silver lining.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A roar erupted from Darien's throat as he lunged the last few paces. Diamond jumped away, turning a shocked face in Darien's direction. The shock intensified as the broken bokken plunged into his chest.  
  
He stumbled back, staring stupidly at the handle and clutching it with his hands. After a moment, his arms dropped to his side and he turned pained eyes up to Darien.  
  
He fell to his knees and then gasped. Blood came out of the corner of his mouth and Darien wondered perversely if it was Serena's blood.  
  
"Darien."  
  
He looked at Diamond. Purple eyes clashed with dark blue and Darien flinched away. He didn't see regret in Diamond's eyes, but he say a lost little boy. Someone who had done something horrible and known it, but wanted it any way. It tore Darien's heart in half and when he looked again, Diamond was slumped on the ground, face turned away from Darien.  
  
"Darien." this weak cry came from behind him and he whirled around to see Serena had also slumped to the ground. She was collapsed in a sitting position with her hands clutched convulsively around her neck. He dropped next to her and pulled her into his arms.  
  
Her eyes were wide and staring into nothing. He stroked her back and slowly lifted her into his arms.  
  
"It's okay, Serena. Don't worry."  
  
She focused on him for a moment, then her eyes dropped shut as she fainted in his arms. 


	8. Moon Stalker

***************  
Epilogue  
***************  
  
Serena opened her eyes to stare straight up at her very own   
ceiling. She sat up in bed suddenly wincing as a headache made itself   
known.  
  
"Your up!" Luna cried making Serena wince.   
  
"Not so loud... please..." she whispered.  
  
"Sorry. I'll be back," Luna said quietly as she leaped off the   
bed and left the room. Serena carefully reached behind her and propped   
the pillows into a sitting position. She rested her head on the wall   
and closed her eyes.  
  
Suddenly arms were around her, small delicate arms. She opened   
her eyes and saw Mina hugging her tightly.  
  
"You're awake. You're okay!" Mina mumbled into Serena's   
shoulder. Stunned, Serena returned the embrace then pushed her friend   
away.   
  
"What are you doing her?" She asked.  
  
"She helped me bring you and Raye here. And take care of you.   
You've been asleep for three days." Darien's voice came from the   
doorway and Serena turned to look at him. He was leaning against the   
door jam, apparently nonchalant, but Serena could see the stiffness in   
his shoulders. She curled her feet under her and Mina sat on the floor   
next to her bed. Serena leaned over and patted the bed, inviting Darien   
to come sit.  
  
He did so and leaned against the window. "How do you feel?" he   
asked softly.  
  
"My neck hurts-oh god." Suddenly the entire experience hit her   
and her eyes widened. "Andrew!" she moaned as she collapsed against   
the wall sobbing. Darien exchanged a look with Mina and gently took   
Serena into his arms. He stroked her hair and allowed her to cry.  
  
Mina got up and left softly to check on Raye and to give them   
some time alone.   
  
To say she had been shocked when Darien had called her was an   
understatement. He had dialed her home after finding the number in   
Serena's wallet and demanded that she come to the park without any   
explanation. She had hoped for a moment that it was going to be a   
romantic moonlight picnic or some such thing. Too bad things weren't   
that great in real life.   
  
Although she really had not expected the scene she did see. He   
had gotten Raye out from under the tree and crudely bandaged her head   
and Serena's neck. He had been in the process of scraping an area clean   
of debris and building a fire.   
  
They had burned Andrew's body and scattered the ashes to the   
wind. Darien had told her to leave Diamond. The body was already   
mummified so it was instantly recognizable as non-human. It would be   
completely decayed and gone in a number of days. Mina had then helped   
him carry Raye and Serena back to Serena's apartment and correctly tend   
their wounds. It had not been till the second day when Raye first woke   
up that she had started to put anything together. Before that, even   
when Luna had talked to her at Darien's insistence, her mind had been   
running on automatic.   
  
She had had a long talk with Darien and Raye earlier and was   
now at least semi-comfortable with the fact that her two best friends   
were a werewolf and a slayer.   
  
She peeked back in the room to see Darien holding Serena   
tightly as she sobbed into his shirt. There was no way to mistake   
Darien's feelings. And Mina would bet anything that eventually Serena   
would return those feelings.  
  
She sighed and turned away. There was no hope for her and   
Darien, but she was happy for her friend. Plus Raye needed her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Raye stared at the ceiling sadly. She was depressed. Very   
depressed. She had loved Diamond, told him so only a couple of nights   
ago, and he had told her he loved her as well. And she had believed him.  
  
It was a terrible shock to discover he had only been trying to   
use her to get close to Serena. It was a horrible feeling and Raye knew   
she would probably take years to heal her heart.  
  
She looked up as Mina came in and sat next to her. Raye smiled   
sadly and practically threw herself into her friend's arms. But she   
wasn't alone in this. She had help and someday... someday... she would   
learn to love again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Darien stroked Serena's hair gently and held her tightly. She  
had been soul-mated to Andrew. He knew that. He had recognized it that   
day they all had lunch together. It had broken his heart, but now she   
was free. It was uncharitable, but Darien was almost happy.  
  
He regretted Andrew's death. He had been a good man and should   
not have died.  
  
He would miss Diamond's wit and friendship, but Diamond had   
been getting strange as they grew older. Darien wondered sometimes if   
he had been slowly going mad for some reason.  
  
But through it all his mind always came back to Serena. He   
didn't know if it was possible for her to ever love him as intensely   
as she had loved Andrew. He had never heard of some one having two   
soul-mates, but maybe someday she would learn to love him.   
  
He would woo her. He would win her. But not now. Now she needed   
to heal and if he tried to press himself on her, she would only get   
confused and scared. She needed a friend.  
  
And Darien was completely ready and willing to fill that   
position. 


End file.
